We do not have the RIGHT TO VOTE

[juliagoolia]

http://www.drivedemocracy.org/blog/index.php?p=144
snip
We can see the argument against the right to vote put clearly in an October 15, 2004, decision from the 7th U.S. Court of Appeals in a lawsuit asking that absentee ballots be allowed for working mothers. Affirming a lower court decision rejecting the request, Judge Richard Posner wrote, “The Constitution does not in so many words confer a right to vote, though it has been held to do so implicitly…Rather, it confers on the states broad authority to regulate the conduct of elections, including federal ones.”

Posner continues, “…state legislatures may without transgressing the Constitution impose extensive restrictions on voting. Any such restriction is going to exclude, either de jure or de facto, some people from voting; the constitutional question is whether the restriction and resulting exclusion are reasonable given the interest the restriction serves.”
snip

[pnutchuck]

1. Wow!Jim Crow welcome back

Talk about history repeating itself!

[trotsky]

2. Damn, sounds like we could use an Amendment.

A voter's rights amendment. The Mepubs will never go for it, but Democrats could at least talk about it.

[robbedvoter]

3. Amendments are for EXCLUDING people from stuff, silly

Where are your moral values? ;-)

[pnutchuck]

5. Or just make election day a national holiday

On Act For Change, they've created letters to send directly to your congressman to push for making election day a national holiday. If you haven't already seen this, they've created the letter for you, just fill in the info, and they send the letter to your congressmen. It's really simple and only takes a couple of seconds.

http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=17781

[blondeatlast]

18. Something like this?

I have a very minor quibble with this, but otherwise I was happy to sign!

http://www.codepink4peace.org/National_Actions_Voter_Bill_of_Rights.shtml

[Skidmore]

4. Perhaps an amendment to the constitution guaranteeing the

right to vote is a movement worth starting. Know of any Congress critters willing to sign on?

[atreides1]

6. 15th Amendment

Section 1
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

Section 2
The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

At least this would indicate that African-American men have the Constitutional right to vote, it's the rest of the country that doesn't.

[shraby]

8. It includes Caucasians...

"race, color".

[whistle]

7. Gosh dag nab it, there the liberals go again trying to give voting...

...rights to people who just should not have them. Working mothers have no right to vote unless they can get to the polls just like non-working mothers. If they are not able to find care for their kids or get time off from work or have the husband cook dinner while they vote, they they just have to miss that chance. If there is no husband at home, the argument is mute! Absentee votes are for republicans only and we know that no self respecting republican homemaker with children would ever consider a full time job that interferes with "moral values". Besides, we took care of those few working republican mothers by mailing them their absentee ballots before October 15, 2004.

<In case it's not apparent, I'm jerking your chain by using a form of mock republican humor. I think I need much more practice at it, at least for the next four years.>

[tsuki]

15. Gosh dag nab it, whistle,

you been talkin to the Ann Coulter gal. She's agin' wimmen vote altogether.

[blondeatlast]

19. Gal? I thought he wuz un a'them thar croass-dressers! nt

[From the south]

9. Looking at some of the replies....

You are taking the opinion out of context. The state imposed some requirements to its absentee ballots, like you needed to say you would be traveling or unable to go to your polling station.

This is because absentee ballots are more expensive to count.

Being a working mother (or working father) wasn't a good enough reason to qualify for a absentee ballot.


How this in any way approximates Jim Crow is beyond me

[juliagoolia]

12. Nope not taking it wrong

In FL if you are a felon who has served your sentence you can't vote. That is in FLORIDA.
Now in TX you CAN vote if you've been convicted and have served your sentence. In some states you can, and some you can't. Its decided by the state.

Whats to keep states from making vote times only m-f 8-5 so that working people can't vote, and only the wealthy can vote?>

We need to encourage voting and make it easier.

[Beacho]

10. Might have to be specific

not just the right to vote but what for, abolish the electoral college while you're at it

[sam sarrha]

11. what happened to American Familie Values..?

[tsuki]

14. Doncha know...

wimmen are supposed to stay home and breed. Plenty of time to vote between church, kitchen and children.

[tsuki]

13. Poll tax anyone?

"the constitutional question is whether the restriction and resulting exclusion are reasonable given the interest the restriction serves.”

If Rove get to pick 3 new justices, anything will be "reasonable" that keeps Democrats from voting.

[Ima]

20. If you fail

the new 'mental health test'.

[tsuki]

21. Wuz dat? The answer to the question of why Ann Coulter

has an Adam's Apple?

[Mick Knox]

16. Posner might try reading the constitution some time

That usually helps when being a judge.

Thats a free tip for the judiciary.

[The Flaming Red Head]

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